Moments after the violent unrest rocked Birmingham the following Twitter messages appeared.
“David Sher’s Comeback Town doesn’t look too nice this morning!
”“So much for David Sher’s ComebackTown.”
Is this the end of our Birmingham renaissance? Continue reading Is this the end of Birmingham’s future?
Remember when we were scared to death to eat Romaine lettuce?
That was just a few months ago.
As it turns out, E. Coli was the good ole days.
“Who knows what is good or bad at the time it happens?”
This quote helps me maintain my sanity during challenging times.
I’m not going to make the case that the Coronavirus is good—it’s not.
But it could be a game changer for Birmingham. Continue reading Now it’s Birmingham’s turn
I don’t know about you, but I keep thinking…”I can’t wait ‘til this Coronavirus thing is over so I can start enjoying life again.”
But I have to keep reminding myself. This is my life. Continue reading An important mindset during these challenging times
A savvy business friend made an observation about Birmingham’s economic future that really got my attention.
But before I disclose what he said, please review a list of Birmingham’s largest companies to determine what you think they all have in common. Continue reading An epiphany about Birmingham’s economic future
Our Alabama legislature screams bloody murder when the federal government passes legislation that overrides Alabama’s wishes.
Our legislators proclaim liberty and states’ rights—yet they rule our cities with an iron hand that deny them the ability to govern.
Gov. Kay Ivey just signed a bill requiring cities to get legislative approval for new occupational taxes, blocking a 1% tax passed by the Montgomery City Council last month. Continue reading How Birmingham can avoid a brawl
It was an inconvenient and unnecessary experience—and proof that at least one Alabama government agency doesn’t care about its citizens.
I called and immediately got a busy signal. Continue reading Held hostage and powerless in Shelby County
I-59/20 through downtown Birmingham closed on January 21, 2019.
One year later, the bridges are open to traffic.
Hallelujah!
Everyone’s high fiving and we’re back to normal. Continue reading Living with a bad decision for the next 100 years
Editor’s note: ComebackTown’s celebrating its 8th anniversary. I thought it might be insightful to republish the very first piece (Jan. 3, 2012). Since publication, the City of Birmingham’s population has stabilized…and our region’s making great progress–all good news! Continue reading Can our suburbs survive if B’ham’s a donut hole?
I’m not sure I appreciated it at the time, but it was a big deal.
The year was 2010 and the event was the opening of Railroad Park.
You would expect William Bell, the mayor of Birmingham, to be one of the speakers, but next to him was Tony Petelos, the then mayor of Hoover. Mayor Petelos spoke enthusiastically about the new park and the future of our Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area. Continue reading Hoover leadership showing courage and vision